The weapons that were purchased by collectors in the 19-20th centuries at the Indian markets were certainly typologically similar to real weapons, although manufactured as souvenirs and handicrafts. But the quality of information the customer learnt about the name, features, and origin of a weapon type depended on the seller`s knowledge of the weapon. The provided information must have been variable depending on the place of purchase and language spoken by the seller.

The analysis of the available sources, written at the time of the described events or around that time, helps to reveal an interesting pattern. In the time of active war operations with short truce periods on the scale of the universal history we can speak only about the existence of military skills and traditions, that kept them up.

The notion «akhara» has several meanings: a sect, a group, something like a sub-unit and a military community, a sports gymnasium, a place for trainings. The time and different historical circumstances added new meanings to this word.

There is a single source for all the types of weapon fighting arts in North-west India. Though the Hindu themselves relate the origin of these practices to the time of Mahabharata events, but their actual history and the succession of this tradition didn’t start till the 17-18th centuries.

The spear

The first thing that draws attention is exercises with a short spear. According to researchers Rajputs preferred foot fighting with a sabre tulwar, a sword khanda and a short spear as the main offensive arms.

Owing to a great deal of recollections and memoirs left by British officers about their participation in Anglo-Indian wars we can get to a certain extent a real idea what happened on a battle field with the use and domination of cold steel.

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